Wire-stretcher



No. 6|],658. Patented Oct. 4, I898. G. W. THORP & A. LEDDY.

WIRE STRETCHER.

(Application filed June 6, 1898.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT U FICE.

GEORGE XV. TI'IORP AND ANDRElV LEDDY, OF CONXVAY SPRINGS, KANSAS.

I sists in the improved construction, arrange- 3 is a view in sideelevation of the tool, Fig.

. be cheap, simple, strong, durable, and effect- WlRE-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 61 1,658, dated October4, 1898. Application filed June 6, 1898. berial No. 682,730. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom it may concern/.

Be it known that we, GEORGE W. THORP an ANDREW LEDDY,CitiZenS of theUnited States, residing at Conway Springs, in the county of Sumner andState of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Fence-Wire Tightener, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for tight ening the wires of fenceswithout removing them from the fences, the object being to provide animproved tool of this class which shall ive, whereby the wire on thefence may be loosened at any particular post, crimped or bent to take upslack, and secured to the post again before removing the tool from thewire.

With this. object in View the invention conment, and combination ofparts hereinafter fully described and afterward particularlypointed outin the claims.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which the invention mostnearly appertains to make and use the same, we will now proceed todescribe its construction and operation, having reference to theaccompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is aperspective view illustrating a single post and wire of a fence, a toolconstructed in accordance with this invention being engaged on the wirein the position it assumes when the crimp in the wire is completed. Fig.2 is a vertical sectional view of the same parts, illustrating thestaples in position for securing the crimped wire to the post, partsbeing shown in dotted lines. Fig.

4 is a similar view of the opposite side of the tool with the curvedtoothed arm broken away. Fig. 5 is a rear elevationof the tool with thelever removed and the curved toothed arm broken away. Fig. 6 is aperspective view of the tool, including the curved toothed arm, thelever being removed.

Like letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures ofthe drawings.

Referring to the drawings by letters, A indicates the main body of thetool forming the subject of this application, which is provided on itsfront face with a longitudinal semicircular groove A in continuation ofan eye A, formed in its rear end. From the rear side of the front end ofthe tool A lugs or arms B B project rearwardly at about right angles tothe main body, leaving a space E between them, the lug B being providedwith a groove C in its outer face and the lug B with a similar groove 0'in its inner face.

A lever D, havinga pointed end D, is adapted to be passed through theeye A" and to rest in the groove A when operating the tool. A lateralarm E projects from one side of the tool A (the right side when lookingat the face of the tool, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 6) andextends substantially at right angles to the main body of the tool for ashort distance to a point E, from whence it is curved outward, upward,and inward substantially in the arc of a circle of which the head of thetool A would be the center, the rear edge of the curved'portion F of thetool beingprovided with teeth F,pointing upward.

The construction of the invention will, be. readily understood from? theforegoing description, and its operation may be described as follows:lVith the tool in hand a person proceeding along a wire fence finds awire, as G, slack or sagging. The point D of the lever D is inserted ina staple securing the slack wire G to a post, as at H, and the staplepried out. The tool is now placed upon the wire in front of the post.The tool, lying at an inclination to the right, or perhaps in line withthe wire to the right, is slipped over the wire, the wire passing intothe space B" between the lugs B and B. The lever and tool are now turnedto the left, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which produces a kink or doublebend I in the wire, the teeth F of the curved arm passing downward overthe wire on the right of the post and the movement to the leftbeing'continued until the wire has been made tight in both directionsfrom the post. The last tooth F, which has passed downward along thewire, as before stated, will engage under the wire and prevent the leverand tool being sprung back toward the right by the stretch of the wire.Two staples are now inserted, the inner leg J of one staple engaging inthe groove G inside of the wire G and the other leg J being outside ofthe wire, the staple straddling the wire, as shown in Fig. 2, the legs Kand K of the other staple bearing the same relation to the groove 0 andthe wire, when each staple will be partially driven into the post. Thetool being now removed, which can be readily done by disengaging thetooth F from the wire and moving the lever and tool slightly toward theright, the staples may be driven home, thus rigidly securing the kinkedor bent wire to the post, the slack having been taken up and the wiretightened. This operation may be repeated as often as necessary on afence until all the Wires have been satisfactorily tightened.

From the foregoing it will be readily seen that a simple, strong, light,cheap, and durable tool has been produced by means of which any personcan quickly and easily tighten up the wires of a fence without the useof a heavy, expensive, and cumbersome tool, sometimes used in thisoperation,without loosening more than a single staple at a time.

While the exact forms, constructions, and arrangements of the variousparts of the invention have been minutely and specifically describedherein, it will be readily understood that the invention is not limitedto such exact forms and constructions and that slight changes orvariations from such forms will be clearly included within the limit andscope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. Atool for tightening fence-wires comprising a main body, having tworearwardly-projecting lugs at its head or outer end forming a spacebetween to straddle the wire, and a lateral curved toothed armprojecting from the main body and adapted to engage the wire and holdthe tool in position thereon, substantially as described.

2. Atool for tightening fence-Wires com prising a main body, and tworearwardly-projecting lugs at its head or outer end, leaving a spacebetween said lugs to receive the fencewire, one of said lugs beingprovided with a groove in its outer face and the other with a groove inits inner face, said grooves being adapted to receive the inner legs ofstaples when the wire is crimped about the lugs, substantially asdescribed.

3. Atool for tighteningfence-wires comprising the main body A providedwith the longitudinal groove A in its front face terminating in the eyeA in its inner end, the rearwardlyprojecting lugs B and B at the head orforward end leaving a space B between them, the lug B being providedwith a groove 0 in its outer face, and the lug B with the groove 0 inits inner face, and the laterally-projecting arm E curved upward fromthe point E and provided on its rear edge with outwardlypointing teethF, substantially as described.

4. A tool for tightening fence-wires comprising the main body A providedwith a longitudinal groove A and eye A, grooved lugs B and B at its headend and the pointed lever D passing through the eye A, seated in thegroove A and extending beyond the head or outer end of the tool,substantially as described.

GEORGE WV. TI-IORP. ANDREV LEDDY.

Witnesses:

T. B. SPENCER, D. P. BOWEN.

